1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for manufacturing blocked, urea group-containing polyisocyanates from semi-blocked polyisocyanates and polyamines.
2. Discussion of Background
The reaction of polyisocyanates with polyamines is so violent that "it has priority over all other isocyanate reactions" (cf. Houben-Weyl, Methoden der Organischen Chemie. Vol. XIII, p. 132). This high reactivity may also be the reason for the fact that for a long time little research has been done on the direct reaction between polyamines and polyisocyanates to the corresponding urea derivatives.
Of course, in principle symmetrical urea derivatives can be obtained through direct conversion of polyisocyanates and water according to the process designated in DE-OS No. 23 41 065, but with this process one must accept the fact that gaseous reaction products, which must be carefully removed, are produced during the formation of urea. Furthermore, the reaction between water and isocyanate has the drawback that there is limited variability and in using the stoichiometric method, oligomeric urea will form, leaving monomeric polyisocyanate. In addition to this, DE-OS No. 23 41 065 teaches that frequently an excess of polyisocyanate-isophorone-diisocyanate is added or that due to viscosity reasons, solvents must be used.
Another disadvantage is that the high reactivity of the reaction between a polyamine and polyisocyanate results in a reaction that can be controlled only with difficulty, and results in a wide range of molecular weights.
This reaction is also observed in the preparation of biuret polyisocyanates and represents there an undesired secondary reaction (cf. DE-OS No. 22 61 065, OS No. 26 09 995 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,126).
Finally, in the DE-OS No. 31 43 060 a process for preparing blocked, urea group-containing isophoronediisocyanate adducts is described. Such compounds are obtained by converting 3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylisocyanate, also called isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), that are partially blocked with epsilon-caprolactam, and diamines having two sterically feasible primary and/or secondary amino nitrogens. The reaction is performed neat and, for viscosity reasons, must occur above 130.degree. C. and, as demonstrated in the examples, even at 160.degree. C. If the partial blocking of IPDI is carried out according to the directives in DE-OS No. 31 43 060, then as the reaction equation shows and it would be desirable, ##STR1## not only the partially-blocked IPDI adduct but also completely blocked IPDI is obtained while retaining from 15 to 17% by weight non-reacted, thus unblocked monomeric IPDI. This high monomer content has a very grave disadvantage, since during the reaction with diamines, it is responsible for the formation of undesired polymeric urea compounds.
According to DE-OS No. 31 43 60, further reactions of the partially blocked polyisocyanates with polyamines are unsuitable for producing urea compounds that are interesting for polyurethane chemistry.